Consumers should expect more to pay to heat their homes this heating season.

We Energies customers can expect to pay about 9% more this winter, but that will still be less expensive than just about every winter in the past decade, utility spokesman Brian Manthey said.

Except for last year, when winter barely came and furnaces weren't needed as much.

The Milwaukee utility forecasts heating costs during the six-month heating season that starts Nov. 1 at $548, or about $45 above last winter.

"Based on the natural gas that we've already purchased and the current spot market price, the price we would pay for natural gas would be 8% lower than last year," he said.

Actual heating costs are derived from the price of natural gas plus the amount of natural gas used to run our furnaces. After record warm temperatures last winter, a normal winter would be bound to make Wisconsin residents run their furnaces more this year.

A typical We Energies customer saw heating costs drop 24% to $503 from $660 the prior winter. The heating season lasts from November through April for the utility, which has more than 1 million natural gas customers.

We Energies released its forecast after the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the Department of Energy, said Wednesday that households that heat with natural gas can expect heating costs to rise 15% nationwide and 19% in the Midwest.

That forecast is based on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast that the Midwest and the nation will see temperatures about 2% warmer on average than the 30-year mean.

The agency is also forecasting record heating costs for households that rely on heating oil rather than natural gas for heat.

Bills would still be well below the five-year average, according to EIA.

Natural gas prices will be slightly higher than last year. But the main reason for the higher forecast is that last winter was much warmer than normal.

Natural gas prices have moderated in recent years because of expanded domestic production linked to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

Madison-based Wisconsin Power & Light Co. said its customers across Wisconsin can expect the price of natural gas to be lower, but that will be offset by increased use of furnaces compared with last winter, spokesman Steve Schultz said.

"WPL residential bills will likely be about 10-15% higher than last year because of the fact that last winter was so warm and customer use was low," he said in an email.

Households and farms that use heating oil or propane for heat should prepare to pay more, according to EIA. The cost of those fuels is more closely tied to the price of crude oil than natural gas.

"Average expenditures for households that heat with heating oil are forecast to be higher than any previous winter on record," the agency said.

Heating oil costs are projected to rise by 19%, while propane heating costs are projected to rise 13% compared with last winter.

According to the Wisconsin Energy Office, just 4% of Wisconsinites relied on heating oil for winter heating in 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

Two-thirds of households in the state use natural gas, while 11% use propane and 13% rely on electricity for heat.

Here is a look at other state utilities and what they are telling their customer to expect this winter.

Xcel Energy, Eau Claire: Bills may be up 10% to 15%.

Wisconsin Public Service, Green Bay: Bills may rise 7% to 8%, or about $10 a month from November through March.

Madison Gas & Electric, Madison: Bills from November through March are projected to increase 18%, to $488 from $413 for a typical residential customer, spokesman Steve Kraus said.